Clay Matthews Slams NFL After Another Bogus Roughing the Passer Call Yesterday
For the third straight game, Clay Matthews was slammed with another roughing the passer call for 15 yards. Here’s the hit that was called for a penalty.
For the third straight week, Clay Matthews is charged with a roughing the passer penalty.
Do you agree with this call? pic.twitter.com/xX10iP3w9A
— FlurrySports (@FlurrySports) September 23, 2018
The second that he hit the ground he stood up and knew that a penalty was coming. He and Packers coach, Mike McCarthy, were none too pleased with the call.
After the game, Clay Matthews started sounding off on the NFL.
“When you have a hit like that, that’s a football play…Unfortunately this league’s going in a direction a lot of people don’t like. They’re getting soft”
Clay Matthews sounds off on questionable roughing the passer call against the Redskins
(via @JosinaAnderson, @espn) pic.twitter.com/IggDw96Z6p
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 23, 2018
Can you blame the guy for being mad? For his entire life, he’s been taught to tackle players the same exact way. He isn’t head hunting. He isn’t chopping them at their knees. He’s making tackles with perfect form, flags are being thrown and sometimes, as I said in my last blog about this, they’re literally altering the outcome of games.
I’ve already said my piece on how I feel about this new penalty in my last blog. But seriously, what else are you supposed to do? It’s easy to look at a slow-motion video like the one at the top of the blog and say yeah, he could have thrown his body off to the side. But when Matthews is going full speed, how the hell is he supposed to avoid that? And I mean, look at the hit that was put on Aaron Rodgers earlier in the game who is arguably the best quarterback in the league right now.
@NFL Why the on going flags on Clay Matthews (very questionable), but yet players can tackle Rodgers any way they want? JW pic.twitter.com/LFR8HF7Aup
— On the Mark (@mrkraem) September 23, 2018
So you’re not going to throw the flag on that hit but you’ll throw one for Matthews’? Look, I get that he’s under the microscope right now and refs are looking for him to make these types of penalties. But if the NFL has had one issue for their entire existence, it’s the lack of consistency. If you are going to make calls on Matthews like this, then this one needs to be a flag too. No question.
In his tackle against Kirk Cousins and the Vikings, you kept hearing people reason with the call by saying that he lifted his legs. Check out the lead image of this blog post. His hands are on his upper body here, right? So now there’s no defense for this weak penalty which, I know, is in the rulebook.
I couldn’t agree with Matthews anymore at this point. If they’re going to make tackles like the one that he made yesterday a flag, just give them the flags for flag football now and let’s get it over with. That’s a ridiculous call and he has every right to be pissed off at the league. He’s making great plays that are being negated because refs can’t call a consistent game.
The league needs to figure this out because they’re causing a big rift between themselves and stars like Clay Matthews. The guy is making the right plays and frankly, playing a pretty safe game. And you’re going to flag him on that? Come on. Mmmmm you smell that? That’s the lockout coming up quick and man is it going to last a long while.
You love fantasy sports but getting tired of the same thing every year? Stop it. Join ThriveFantasy today where you bet on only the top tier players and gain points based on prop bets. Sign up today using the Couch Guy Sports link NOW & get in on the action. (Must deposit a minimum of $10 upon signup and ThriveFantasy will MATCH that $10)
-Nick Quaglia (@NickQuag)